Snow and ice melting vehicle.



G. R. STEDMAN & J. M. HUGHES.

SNOW AND ICE MELTING VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28 1909.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. R. STEDMAN & J. M. HUGHES.

SNOW AND ICE MELTING VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN, 22, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

witmeooeo @z CHARLIE STEDMAN AND'JOHN M. HUGHES, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

SNOW AND ICE HEIITING VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed Feb. 22, 1910.

Application filed January 28, 1908. Serial No. 474,870.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that we, CHARLIE R. STED- MAN and JOHN M. HUGHES, citizens of the United States, residing in the cit and county of Denver and State of Co orado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snow and Ice Melting Veicles; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable'others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawin s, and to the fig ures of reference markec l thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in vehicles adapted for use in meltin snow and ice, being more especially intended for use in cleaning snow and ice from the streets in cities, though its use is evidently not limited to an particular location, since it may be emp oyed to advanta e wherever there is occasion for the per ormance of Work of this character. I

It is well known that it is customary in cities to remove the snow from the streets by shoveling it into wagons and hauling .the same away to a distance where it is dumped. This is a very laborious and expensive proceeding, and our object is to provide-an apvparatus adapted to do away with the necessity for hauling the snow and me away, in order to get rid of it, and to this end we make provision in our improved vehicle for meltmg the snow and ice as fast as it is shoveled thereinto,whereby it is converted into water and either kept in a tank and dischar ed into the'sewer after the tank has been filled to the limit of its capacity; or, if the weather permits, the water may be allowed to run out of the tank as fast as the snow and ice melt, and pass into the gutter, and thence into the storm sewer. When, however, the

weather is so cold as to make this imprac-- ticable, the water may be retained until a considerable quantity has accumulated, when the vehicle may be driven to an opening communicating with the storm sewer, when the water may be quickly discharged thereinto.

In our improved apparatus, burners are arranged underneath the vehicle body, into which the snow to be melted is shoveled the construction being such that the heat of these burners acts directly upon the vehicle body, which is, of course, composed of metal,

whereby the snow and ice may be melted practically as fast as they are shoveled thereinto. In other words, a combustion chamber 1s arranged below the bottom of the vehicle body, and through this chamber are passed burners or erforated pipes to which fuel oil may be ed for the purposes of combustlon. In order to facilitate the melting of the snow, the bottom of the vehicle body, or that in direct communication with the combustion chamber, is corrugated, thus greatly increasin the heating surface.

Hereto ore, so far as we are aware, no vehicle has been equipped with means for directl applying heat to the body or receptac e into WhlCh the snow is discharged, though provision has been made for heating water upon a vehicle and discharging 'the hot water upon the snow within the vehicle body. This, however, is entirely distinct from our invention, since the heat of our combustion chamber is ap lied directly to the vehicle body for me ting the snow therein.

Having briefly outlined our im rovecl construction, we will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in.which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical lon itudinal section of a vehicle, equipped wit our improvement. section of the same taken on the line 27-2,

Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of our improved snow and ice melting vehicle.

The same reference characters indicate the work of the vehicle, which is shown in the drawing as mounted upon wheels 6. It is evident that our improved vehicle ma be equipped with any desired means of 000- motion, since, if it is more convenient, runners instead of wheels may be employed without departing from the spirit. of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In this application the term vehicle is used in a broad and comprehensive sense, not being limited to conveyances provided with wheels.

Upon the framework 5 of the vehicle is mounted a tank 7 for receiving the water 8, into which the snow and ice have been converted. This tank is equipped with a rearwardly located, depended discharge pipe 9, controlled by avalve 10. By back- Fig. 2 is a cross vehicle to the manhole of a storm ing the the contents of the tank may be sewer,

, quickly discharged into thesewer by openceptacle or vehicle body 13,

is formed of relatively dee corrugations, whereby the surface ex ose the valve 10.

ounted above the tank, and adjacent to the top thereof, is a combustion chamber 12, through which are passed transverse bars 3,'forming a support for the snow rewhose bottom to the action of the heat of the com ustion chamber is made comparatively extensive, thus making it practicable to greatly facilitate the meltin of the contents of the receptacle 13.

dassed lon itudinally through the combustion cham er 12, and at the base or bot tom of the receptacle 13, are-perforated pump 19 whose cylinder 20 is in communication with the interior of the tank, whereby any desired pressure upon the oil therein may be maintained. This .pump may be operated through the medium of a lever 21,

' fulcrumed at 22, andconnected at 23 with a piston stem 24 of the ump; The person in charge of the vehic e' may subject the liquid fuel therein to the necessary pressure by operating the pump whenever the pressure gage 25, with which the tank is equipped, indicates that more pressure is deslrable.

The combustion chamber 12 is closed in front by a plate 26, which is notched or recessed to fit the corrugated bottom of the vehicle body 13. This plate gives a support to the said bottom, and makes it practicable to make it of relatively thin material, whereby the heat may quickly actupon the contents of the receptacle. This combustion chamber is entirely closed, except at the rear, where there is a draft opening 27, controlled by a gate or damper 2 8;

Forward of the plate 26, the chamber of the body 13. extends to the top of the tank 7 where the latter is provided with an opening 29, covered by a screen 30. The water into which the snow is converted, passes into the tank 7 through this opening. By

virtue of the screen any foreign matter" therein is prevented from entering the tank, and possibly clogging the discharge pipe.

Any impuritles, as indicated at 30, may be removed by opening a door 31, which is hinged to the body 13, as shown at 32.

From the foregoing description the use of our improved apparatus will be readily understood. Assuming that the fuel oil is turned into the perforated pipes 14 under the necessary pressure, and the oil lighted within the'combustion chamber of the vehicle, it is e ident that the corrugated botheated. In the use of the'vehicle it may be driven alon .the street or wherever the snow and ice to e removed are locatedfthe latter being shoveled thereinto, whereby it is brought in contact with the hot corrugated bottom of the receptacle and quickly melted. The bottom of this receptacle 1s downwardly inclined from its rear extremity, whereby the water passes immediately to the forward extremity of the rece tacle, and thence through the opening 29 into the tank 7. If desired, this water maybe allowed to accumulate until the tank 7 is filled, when the water may be discharged into the sewer, as heretofore explained; 'or, if deemed practicable, the valve 10 may be left open, allowing the water to run out upon the street and pass automatically into the sewer.

By virtue of the factthat the to of the water tank 7 ,forces the bottom of dbe oombustion chamber, the heat from the latter serves to prevent the freezing of the water within the tankv 7 in cold weather. This is an im&ortant feature, where the temperature is su ordinary circumstances.

Having thus described we claim is: v

1. A vehicle of the class described, including a snow and ice receptacle, 9. water tank our invention, what ciently low to freeze water under underneath 'said receptacle .and a screen covbustionch'amber for heating the latter to the desired-degree for snow melting purposes, substantiallyas described.

2. A vehicle of the class described, including a water tank, a receptacle mounted on the water tank, having a corrugated bottom a closed space being left between the tank and the receptacle, forming a combustion chamber, perforated ipes located in the combustion chamber, etween the pockets formed by the corrugated bottom of said receptacle and a source of fuel oil mounted on the vehicle, and with which the said pipes are connected.

3. A vehicle of the class described, including a receptacle, having a corrugated bottom, a combustion chamber adjacent to the said bottom, perforated pipes located within the combustion chamber, a liquid-fuel-containing tank mounted 6n the vehicle, means connected with the tank for placing the liquid a fuel under the necessary pressure, and a connection between the said tank and the perforated pipes in the combustion chamber 70 tom of the receptacle 13 will soon become eqoaie to allow the liquid fuel to ass to the said pipes, the combustion cham er being closed at the bottom, and provided with a re ulated draft openin substantially as descri ed.

4. A vehic e of the class described, provided with a water tank, a rece tacle located above the tank, and havlng its ottom downwardly inclined toward one extremity, a screen covered opening forming a communication between said receptacle'and tank, the apparatus having a combustion chamber interposed between the bottom. of the receptacle and the top of the tank, and means for supplying the combustion chamber with the necessary fuel for combustion purposes, substantially as described.

5. A; vehicle of the class described, including a water tank, having a valve controlled outlet, a receptacle mounted above the tank, and whose forward portion is in communiipes located within the combustion chamher, an oil tank mounted u on the vehicle, a connection between the said tank and the pipes within the combustion chamber, and means for re ulating the pressure upon the liquid fuel wlthin the tank, substantially as described."

In testimonywhereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLIE R. STEDMAN. JOHN M. HUGHES.

Witnesses:

JEssm F. HOBART, A. EBER'I OBnmN. 

